ICYMI: What patients care about this election year

As the election year heats up, voters across the nation are considering many issues that will shape our country's future. Among these voters are patients who have a vested interest in policy solutions that prioritize access to lifesaving medicines and protect innovation.

When it comes to health care affordability, there's a clear message from patients: they want their insurance to work as intended.

An overwhelming 93% of insured Americans believe insurance should provide affordable access to health care, yet only 34% feel it currently does based on PhRMA’s recent Patient Experience Survey.

Patients are increasingly concerned about the practices of middlemen, like insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), that are increasingly putting care out of reach and increasing costs. A Morning Consult/PhRMA survey highlights that 85% of voters are worried about PBM practices including overcharging for prescription medicines, denying the use of cost-saving tools like copay coupons, and controlling what medicines people can get and what they pay at the pharmacy. Moreover, 88% of insured Americans believe it is wrong for them to pay more out of pocket for medicines than their insurance company or PBM.

Across the country, patients are calling on policymakers to act now to bring more transparency and accountability to middlemen. Hear what they are saying:

• “As a patient and a voter, I was disappointed that lawmakers failed, once again, to pass PBM reform last year — and I’m equally frustrated that it seems unlikely that will happen before the elections.” - Grant J., Colorado, Colorado Springs Gazette
  
  
• “The chances of Congress passing PBM reform before the election are slim to none, which is disappointing and frustrating given how many people this issue impacts. Patients shouldn’t have to wait another year to see some relief from the harmful PBM policies that force them to jump over hurdles in order to access the physician-prescribed treatments they need.” - Jessie H., Arizona, The Tucson Daily Star
  
  
• “PBM policies can lead to needless delays in care and new access barriers that patients must overcome. These policies are not designed with patients in mind, but rather to reduce internal costs and maximize insurer and PBM profits wherever possible... With the elections coming up, lawmakers should realize this will be a critical issue for patients and voters nationwide.” - Ruth L., Minnesota, ABC Newspapers
  
  
• “With Congress wrapping up policy work ahead of this year’s elections, it’s frustrating that lawmakers once again let patients like me down. While reforms to pharmaceutical middlemen, known as PBMs, seemed so close to passing, legislation fell short of the finish line... PBMs dictate nearly every step of patients’ care, and through unscrupulous practices like prior authorization, these companies boost their already outrageous bottom lines at the expense of everyone else’s well-being.” - Garret G., New Jersey, TAPinto
  
  
• “Given how many people this issue affects in Nevada and across the country, it’s deeply upsetting and disappointing that Congress hasn’t yet passed PBM reform. What makes it worse is that there seemed to be some real, bipartisan momentum behind PBM reform last year, with various pieces of legislation drafted and introduced by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Lawmakers need to get it together and make PBM reform the priority it deserves to be in Congress.” - James F., Nevada, Las Vegas Review Journal

The picture is clear. What patients want this election year are solutions that hold big insurers and their PBMs accountable. Learn more about key election year voter insights here and check out our polling paper here.